As part of our ongoing efforts to improve our Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) billing model, we are introducing a new billing option for Starlight VM plans — Prepaid.
The Prepaid billing model works just like a traditional web hosting subscription, where you pay a fixed price in advance for a certain billing cycle. The payment is completed before the hosting product is activated, so you’ll know the exact cost upfront.
Our Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model bills you monthly, based on the actual hours your Virtual Machine runs. This provides flexibility for short-term or irregular projects, but it can sometimes make predicting costs more difficult.
Both billing options use the same cloud infrastructure. Choose Pay-as-you-go for flexibility, or Prepaid if you prefer a set price in advance.
NOTE: It isn’t currently possible to switch between Prepaid and PAYG. You’ll need to cancel your existing plan, and rebuy it with your preferred option.
Our Prepaid billing model offers several key advantages over PAYG:
Cost predictability — since the subscription fee is fixed, you can plan and control your budget without worrying about fluctuating usage costs.
Flexibility of billing cycles — you can choose between monthly, quarterly, or yearly subscriptions, depending on your project’s needs. Longer cycles usually offer better value.
Ideal for always-on projects — if you plan to run your VM continuously (e.g., for production environments, web applications, or business-critical tools), Prepaid ensures stability and cost efficiency more similar to traditional hosting subscriptions.
In short, Prepaid Starlight VM plans combine the reliability of subscription-based hosting with the performance of Virtual Machines, making them an excellent option for customers seeking stability, cost predictability, and convenience.
Yes. The billing cycle for your Prepaid subscription can be adjusted at any time through the Hosting Manager menu. This means you can start with a monthly plan, then switch to quarterly or yearly if you decide your project requires a long-term commitment.